Liverpool going under the knife
By David Davutovic
For the visit of West Ham last week, ESPN's cameras caught Australian doctor Peter Brukner in the Anfield terraces at the side of new Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton.
The image encapsulated Liverpool's future, which Reds fans are anticipating - if not expecting - to be significantly brighter than the past two decades and in particular a forgettable 2009-10 campaign. The club's financial plight is dire while this season's results have been disappointing to say the least, with injuries having played no small part.
Ironically it was another Australian in Harry Kewell - who has now reinvented himself at Galatasaray - who suffered the cruellest of injury curses at Liverpool, which meant he never fulfilled his enormous potential.
Kewell's personal manager Bernie Mandic went on record and slammed Liverpool's medical department, claiming that star striker Fernando Torres was headed down the same path as Kewell, who "lost three and a half years of his career at Liverpool''.
Coincidence or not, two major developments have taken place since: the appointment of Dr Brukner, one of the pioneers of sports medicine in Australia, and a knee injury to Torres, who underwent surgery last week.
"They (Liverpool) realised that Premier League clubs are a bit behind in medical care and the way they look after players so it's a chance to come in an improve things,'' said Dr Brukner, who will become Liverpool's head of sports medicine and sports science. ''It's interesting, I guess it's not a big part of the British football culture and maybe a bit of a lack of understanding in terms of how sports medicine has progressed in the last decade or two.
"There's a lack of awareness around the place but some of the clubs are starting to realise there's a better way to do things.''
Though not due to officially start until next season, Dr Brukner is spending the last month of this campaign with the Reds to allow him "to hit the ground running'' in 2010-11, with Australia's 2010 World Cup campaign sandwiched between.
"It's an honour to be approached and I think it's a feather in the cap of Australian sports medicine that they come looking in Australia and shows we've got a pretty good reputation,'' he said. "Initially I was a little reluctant from a family point of view and other commitments back home but in the end I thought it's a fantastic opportunity to work for one of the top sporting clubs in world.
"I've come over for the last month of the season to get a feel for the place and see how the department works and how it works on match days so when I come back I can hit the ground running and implement changes I want to make right from the start as opposed to wasting a year. It's been very valuable and I've already learnt a lot.''
He's already had to get his hands dirty, with Torres going under the knife just days after his arrival, but Dr Brukner has allayed the fears of expectant Spanish fans.
"Torres should be right for the World Cup if everything goes to plan, he's already had the operation and we hope to get him back soon for rehab,'' he said.
Notwithstanding the criticism of Liverpool's injury record, Dr Brukner said the Torres injury was unavoidable, although he admits Liverpool's general record needs to improve.
"I doubt the Torres knee problems could've been prevented, it's one of those unlucky things,'' he said. "It's very hard to comment on individuals, but preventing injuries is a terribly important thing - the good players have got to be out there, if they're injured they're no use to anyone.
"I'm not one to look into the past, but obviously Liverpool have been concerned about their injuries and it's one of reasons that prompted them to upgrade their services.''
Dr Brukner will be in charge of hundreds of millions of pounds worth of talent at Anfield, so does he get nervous treating Torres, Kewell, Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano?
"I haven't really thought about it like that. To me they're just players who need to be looked after, whether earning £100 or £100,000-a-week. It's the same issues, same processes and challenges,'' he said. ''So I don't get intimated by thinking it's Gerrard or Torres' knee, you try and do the best job for everyone you see.
"I've had a lot of experience I guess in dealing with high level athletes and Olympians. You lie awake at night worrying whether treatments are right, but you do that whether you're looking at professional footballers or your son's hockey team.''
As of May 10, when the Premier League season is wound up, Dr Brukner's sole focus will be the Socceroos' South African mission and it's with a heavy heart that he steps down from his national team role with Australia, describing the staff as a "special group of people'', while paying special tribute to his medical colleagues Phil Coles (physio) and Darren Burgess (strength and conditioning coach).
"The staff have been terrific, with Phil (Coles) and Darren Burgess, as well as the coaching staff from Pim (Verbeek) down, it's just a very special group of people,'' he said. "And the players have been amazing. Before joining I had a bit of trepidation and thought, are they highly paid prima donnas? On the flipside they're very friendly and great to work with and it's been one of the greatest professional experiences of my life.
"I know people used to critical of the setup in the old days but it's a very professional setup now. One of the unfortunate things in getting the Liverpool job was having to give up the Socceroos job after the World Cup, but hopefully we'll finish on a high.''
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